Don't You Dare Speak About Love
by Cupid's Bride
Summary: Answer to pottergrl15's challenge. What if Jake and Miley knew each other before he came to Malibu? And what if it was the reason Miley detested Jake? JxM and LxO.
1. Remember Me?

Disclaimer: Me equals do not own Hannah Montana. Do the math.

AN: I wanted to post this before someone else takes the challenge. Hope you guys liked it.

Note: Originally inspired by Mandy Moore's When I Talk To You, but further developed by More Than A Zombie to Me, a French single by Tina Arena and a challenge.

WARNING: SLIGHT REWRITE OF EPISODES 14 AND ONWARD!

Summary: What if Jake and Miley knew each other before he comes to Malibu?

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**Don't You Dare Speak About Love**

**_Chapter One: Remember Me?_**

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Miley heard the news and was not excited to go to school that day; however she kept it all inside and acted like nothing was different. She listened to EVERYBODY from Lilly to Oliver and Amber to Ashley gush about Jake Ryan in the hallway. She rolled her eyes at the spectacle. Okay – she _knew_ who Jake Ryan. Before and after Zombie High. But she wasn't acting like a fool about it.

Besides, why would she give a guy like him the time of day especially since he wasn't the type to keep his promise? Especially when _left_ her at her _most_ vulnerable state? He left when she _needed_ him?

The thought made her blood boil. She **hated** Jake Ryan.

She let her friends make fools out of themselves, and fall over the guy. She wasn't about to dissuade them from getting to know the guy – they'll find out and they'll drop him like a bad habit. Pfft, it surprised her that his abnormally large ego could fit in the room.

She cut his rambling off and patronized him. "Uhmm, excuse me? Superstar? Hottie of the year? _Your point?!_"

Jake saw her and did a double take. For a second, she actually thought he remembered her. But his next words disproved that theory. "Ah yes – even though I am all those things… I want each and every one of you to…"

Miley rolled her eyes and sighed. She resigned herself to recall her childhood. What ever happened to that sweet kid?

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_The first scene was in a park, where the trees shaded a big area. A little girl, about three years of age, was sitting on a bench playing with a wreath of white daisies her mom made for her_

_Her mommy and daddy were on a seesaw, watching her try to figure out how to make one the wreath. They were surprised when a little boy, who looked about her age, came up to her bench and kissed her on the cheek for a long time until an adult pulled him away._

_The lady had said "I'm sorry – I don't know what's come over him."_

_Her parents and man saw this and laughed as the boy's mother slightly scolded the little boy for doing that._

"_It's alright – no harm done." The girl's daddy and the man said._

_The girl's mom just laughed while the boy's mom prevented him from getting away from her and reaching the little girl._

_The little girl jumped down from her bench and just watched the scene in confusion while frowning a little. She looked at the boy, who looked harmless and shyly smiled at her._

_She smiled back, and this caused the mother to loosen her hold on him and he came running to the little girl then gave her hug and another kiss on the cheek._

"_Jacob!" The boy's mother was prevented from separating the two when the man wrapped his arms around her._

"_Honey, let them be – don't they look cute?"_

_The girl's parents exchanged glances. The father said, "We have to agree. They just look adorable. Say, aren't you guys new here?"_

"_Yes. I'm Will Ryan, and this is my wife; Kristin." The couple held their hands out._

"_I'm Robbie Stewart, and this is my wife, Grace." They shook hands. _

_Immediately, the two kids mimicked their parents. "I'm Miley," the girl said._

"_I'm Jacob." Then the little boy saw his dad do that thing when he kisses the back of the hand of a lady he meets and does it to Miley. He ended up licking her along the way._

_Miley made a face. "Ewww."_

"_Sorry, Mi… Mi… Millie!" He had trouble pronouncing her name that he started calling her by another one. He offered her his clothed arm so she could wipe her hand on it. "Here, Millie. You can use this."_

_The adults saw the girl wipe her hands on the boy's sleeve and started laughing._

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And that was the start of an everlasting friendship. Or so he said, Miley thought darkly.

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_They were sitting on a front porch with a swing. They looked about five or six then. She had two garlands of white daisies in her hand as he **tried** to braid her hair and **failed** miserably._

"_There!' He said, after finishing his 'handiwork'. It was nothing more than a tangled mess with elastics all over the place. Her hair actually resembled a pineapple more than a French braid._

_When she looked in the mirror, she screamed. "THAT'S NOT HOW YOU DO IT!"_

_Taken aback, and hurt; he crossed his arms and said, "Okay, fine! If you don't like it, then you do it! And I'll never braid your hair again!"_

_She softened up, "I'm sorry – but… it's only supposed to be one. But, it's okay. If I put this on top it'll be fine." She smiled apologetically at him as she presented one of the crowns of daisies to him._

_He smiled back. "You want me to put it on you?"_

"_Yeah. But you have one too."_

_So he put one on her and let her put one on him. "You're very pretty, Miley."_

"_Thank you, Jacob. You look pretty too."_

_He smiled. "You know you're my very best friend?"_

"_Really?"_

"_Yes, silly! And I want us to be always like this! Do you want to?"_

"_Okay! Let's be friends forever."_

_He held up a pinky. "We have to swear. And it's not just friends. It's **best** friends."_

_They swore on it._

_They happily sat on the swing until it was time for dinner when the little boy remembered something._

"_Wait, I found this the other day, and I thought you might like it." It was a small ring. It was plastic, like the kind you get from Cracker Jack or cereal boxes._

_She hugged him and thanked him. "I love it. My mom always has one on her left finger. Will you put it on me?"_

"_Okay." So he did._

_Aunt Dolly saw the scene and said, "Why aren't you two darling little angels? And you, Jacob – do you know what you did and what that ring means?"_

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Miley quickly shook herself out of the memory. She didn't want to remember that. No siree. She wanted to destroy that ring, and the pictures that came along with it. She wanted to burn the boxes where she kept all of the trinkets and wish lists she wrote about that boy.

Jacob Ryan was dead to her the moment he became Jake Ryan, the celebrity.


	2. Seems Like Forever Since The Day

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one.

AN: I am surprised, and pleased about the response I got from this fic! My goodness. Like I said in my profile, I'll update when I can. Right now, I have finals coming up… so; **Yvonnia** you're not the only one who has to study. I'm right with ya! Ha ha. Thanks for all of the reviews, you guys! I MEAN IT!

For those wondering about how children might forget their fiance/fiancee from when they were kids... sometimes; you forget things you don't want to remember until you want to remember them. And even then - the brain actually doesn't let you remember what happened correctly or even completely. So if you're taking, like say... the SAT or some other test no, five years from now you're going to not really remember the whole test, just the gist of it. And even then, it might not even be accurate. (I just took a psychology class, so I've got reading materials to back this up!) When you get older, your brain kinda molds/blends memories together as to how your subconscious might want to remember certain things. It's gonna have that... gray area where your mind just fills in the blanks to make the story more "real" or exciting even... I don't really know hwo to explain it... so, without further ado, here's chapter two!

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Don't You Dare Speak About Love

Chapter Two: Feels Like Forever Since The Day

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"_Hey Millie!" A little boy about the age of eight or so ran around a little girl who was about the same age and was playing with flowers in a middle of a park._

_She sighed as she tried to ignore the hyperactive boy. "What do you want, Snot Boy?"_

"_Don't call me, that!"_

"_Why shouldn't I, Snot Boy?"_

"_It's not my name!"_

"_And my name isn't Millie, but you call me that anyway!"_

"_Come on – I thought you like it when I call you that! At least I don't call you Barfy Barbie!"_

_She gave him a look. "Sure, as much as I like being pushed down in wells. And I thought you weren't going to call me that anymore!"_

_He finally sat down next to her. "Well – like I said, I don't call you…" He saw the scowl and paused then said, "that kind of Barbie."_

"_Yeah, but you mentioned it!"_

"_So?"_

"_It's the same!" She threw her hands up in the air, careful not to disturb the flowers she had on her lap._

"_It's not!"_

"_Is too!"_

"_Not!"_

"_Too!"_

"_Too!"_

"_Not!"_

_The boy smiled. "Glad you see my point."_

"_Ugh, you tricked me!" The girl slowly stood up, holding her unfinished garland of white daisies gently._

_The boy merely looked at her and asked, "Where are you goin'?"_

"_Away from you," came the reply._

_He stood up and caught up to her. "Come on, Miles. Don't be like that."_

_She kept on walking silently. He sighed and followed her to her house, next to his. They entered through the back, where the kitchen was. The smell of freshly baked cookies filled their noses._

"_Here comes my little bee!" A pleasant woman, with beautiful brown hair up in a ponytail called from her place by the oven. "Oh hello, Jacob. Would you like some cookies and milk? I am baking my Secret Chocolate Fudge and Chunks ones!"_

_The boy jumped up at the invitation and quickly got the milk from the fridge, setting it down on a random counter then proceeded to get two glasses from a cupboard. He poured himself some and then was about to pour some in the girl's when she wordlessly asked for the milk. He let her take it from him and watch her pour herself some. She wordlessly grabbed two pieces of the chocolatey goodness before leaving the kitchen._

"_What did you do, Jacob?"_

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Jake woke up and saw a Golden Retriever with astonishing, bright, gray eyes beside him. "Oh hello, Bee." He scratched her behind the ears and she closed her eyes. He heard his alarm start beeping after thirty seconds of petting and turned it off when his pet started growling at it.

He laughed at the dog's antics and patted her on the head. "Sorry, girl. I gotta go to school today." He set some dog food that was in his room for Bee on the floor. The dog wagged her tail and licked his hand then dug in.

He went in the bathroom and stripped then got in the shower.

When he was a little kid, he woke up just before his alarm started ringing. It was a habit that he picked up from his best friend, and fiancée. He chuckled at the memory of her.

Speaking of that little bee, he had yet to hear from her. He'd been having some dreams about her lately… he was worried about her especially because of her identical cousin (as freaky as that one was). He didn't forget her. He never could. When he left Nashville when he was nine and three-quarters, his dad had to get him a dog with her eyes that he named Bee. Short for Barbie, as well as the moniker her mom had given her. He wrote her a couple of times, but never got _anything_ from her. She must still be mad at him for leaving.

He tried going back to Tennessee a couple of times just to see her because he missed her, but his movies or press conferences were never in Nashville. And his mom hadn't given him a chance to go back to that place ever since they moved to live to Santa Monica before moving to Malibu. He had been home schooled before his dad decided that it would be good publicity if he went to the local junior high.

He paused. Why didn't he ever think about it before? His parents were his managers, with his mom calling most of the shots. Why couldn't he go back to Nashville? He and his dad loved it there.

The more he thought about it, the more he realized something. He was able to visit the first place he lived at, which was Clifton, New Jersey. He lived there until they moved to Nashville, where his paternal grandparents used to live. But for some reason, his mother had been adamant in not returning to Nashville.

He had to find out why. But, later. He had school to go to.

As he got out of the shower and got dressed for the day; he remembered a girl from his classes who didn't treat him like a celebrity at all. He smiled.

She was something else. And her name was Miley, such a pretty name. He should know – it was his best friend's. She would have been pretty too, if she didn't scowl so much. She actually reminded him of someone, but he couldn't place his finger on it.

She was smart, and funny. He couldn't wait to get to know her.

He finished drying his hair with a towel, combed it and let it sit. Then he picked up his stuff and went downstairs. His mom was cooking breakfast and his dad was at the table, reading a newspaper and drinking tea.

"Good morning, Jake." His dad said, setting the paper down. "I'm sorry I didn't get the chance to talk with you yesterday, how was school?"

The tension between his parents was weird. It was like they fought, again. It's been happening a lot lately, ever since the Zombie High producers said that they will be hiring Hannah Montana as his love interest for an episode.

He didn't know why they would fight about that. She was a fellow teen star – and from what he read; she was a good one from Nashville. She must be home schooled (and had strict parents – which wasn't a far off reason for her not to be out) since she was a kid, because he had never seen her. Then again, Nashville was pretty big – even if people knew everybody.

Realizing he had yet to answer his dad, he cleared his throat. "It was fine, dad. A little crazy – since a good number of girls were tailing me pretty much everywhere. Oh, and yeah – which one of you gave _This Week in Hollywood_ the go?"

His parents exchanged glances. "Must be the agency. Which one did they send?"

Jake made a face. "Bree Young Zhusdan Takahashi Samuels."

His dad made the same face. "Ewww."

His mom clapped her hands before turning her attention back to cooking. "That girl is a good reporter. She'll give you great publicity!"

Father and son just shook their heads.

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Jake got to school and was immediately swarmed by girls. He pasted a smile on his face, and let them bombard him with questions, answering and replying with all the cheerfulness his mom drilled into him ever since adopting the name Jake Ryan. Nobody ever called him Jacob anymore… and he missed it; if only because there were a lot of good memories attached with it.

He inwardly sighed when the adoring and beady gazes everybody shot him got a little tiring. It was fine, but he had a reason why he was in school.

Okay, so he told his parents that he agreed – going to school with normal kids will be good publicity for him as long as he doesn't do anything negative like slack off with work or commit unexcused truancy.

But inside – he just wanted a chance to be a normal kid again. Ever since turning into Jake Ryan – he didn't feel normal anymore. His mom never let him get close to make good friends with anyone; and actors his age were still friends with theirs.

In a way, he was actually jealous of Hannah Montana – who finally came out with one of her non-celebrity best friends in the latest issue of Tween Magazine.

The girl herself was as secretive as Hannah was – was never heard to say anything that will allow her to remain in the spotlight. Traci Van Horn commented in one of the articles that "Lola wasn't like Nicole Richie at all. She's a sweetheart, even if a little odd."

The thought made him think about Miley's friends, Lilly and Oliver. He would love to have friends like them. Maybe he could, he was growing up after all – his mom can't stop him from making friends at school.

Maybe she was right about a couple of kid actors like him and his fans, but that didn't mean she was going to be right about the few kids at school who looked at him somewhat normally. Well, Lilly looked at him adoringly – but that was expected. Oliver was turning normal lately; and even glared at him a couple of times. He suspected it was because of Lilly.

And Miley… well. She was something else.

Speaking of her, she just left her locker. Inwardly, he sighed. He had to talk to her and get to know her. She was someone he didn't want to be on his bad side. He couldn't explain his attraction to her or why exactly he didn't want her mad at him. He just didn't want her to be so cold to him.

Actually, if he didn't know any better. He'd say that she hated his guts for some reason he couldn't fathom. She glared, scowled and stared daggers at him at every given chance. She would be quite pretty if she didn't

Oh well.

He opened his own locker (which he didn't realize was right next to Miley's) and winced. It sounded like it needed oil. He needed Mr. Bram – wait, he specifically asked to be called Tony… so he needed _Tony_ to take a look at it.

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He rounded the corner after English class with a fraction of his fan club in tow. While inwardly rolling his eyes, he wrapped up some lame joke he was telling them. _'Good grief!'_ He thought. "…So I said, 'No, Mr. Trump, _you're_ fired.'" He quickly faked a pleased smile and a fake chuckle when everybody else laughed at the joke.

'_Okay, how to get rid of these guys?' _ He almost groaned at the thought; but he had to do this, he needed to regroup. "Hey, do you think one of you guys can save me a seat in the cafeteria?"

Every body scrambled to do as he said.

He threw them a, "Thanks!" as they left. Outside, he looked like he was perfectly alright. Inside, he was about to tear his hair out. '_Okay, breathe in and out.'_

It worked. And then he saw Tony and Miley at his locker. _His locker???_

"Oh, Tony!!!" _'…You shouldn't have done this!'_

"Jakey!!!"

He didn't want to sound ungrateful or ungraceful about declining the gift so he tried to put the three parts of Polite Rejection. The first was, "I just asked if you could get the squeak out of the door!" You state the point of the favor you asked. The second part… "This is above and beyond!" demonstrates how the person granting the favor went overboard by actually complimenting him or her. And the last, "Give me some love!" To buffer the incoming but veiled rejection; one must do something nice for the person such as saying, "You the man."

That should have made the person happy and speechless.

Too bad, it didn't work because the janitor said, "No, you the man!"

'_Oh, boy.' _"Oh no, _you_ the man."

"Oh no you -"

Saved by Miley. "Yeah, yeah, yeah! Greeeeeaaat! _Now _who the man who knows where my locker is?!"

Jake stopped dead. "Wow, is this your…" He looked at his great locker. How come he never knew that her locker was right next to his? Then he looked back at the girl. She had such a great expression on her face.

It was a mix of everything. She was cute when she was angry. Her eyes were flashing, and fired up. It also looked like she's trying not to lose control of her temper.

Kinda like someone he knew before but couldn't put a finger to it. As he mulled it over – as well as tried hard not to drool over the SWEET locker he had, he completely missed how the janitor told her, "Don't sweat it, Millie."

Jake, however, looked back just in time to hear her say, "It's Miley!"

He had to give her credit for not letting expletives lose like one guest star he could name. He was pretty appalled by the way Tony just said, "Like it matters."

But… he was distracted by the **_iPod_**!!! That was the latest in the series! It can play movies, store files… wait, was that 80 GB worth of memories?

Oh, that was TOO MUCH! He's gotta do something, anything to stop this madness. But, oh – maybe he'd keep just for the day… but there must be something he could do for the one person who saw him differently from his idol worshippers!

He turned away from his GORGEOUS sound system and saw Miley being led by Tony with a black trash bag. "Hey, Miley!"

They both stopped. He quietly signaled Tony to leave them alone (which he did, perks of being a movie star who acted like a Prince) and walked up to her. "Look, I feel bad. I don't really need all that room – there's more than enough space for the two of our stuff... and even Lilly's and Oliver's." He smiled at her.

She wasn't impressed. "No, thanks; besides." She held up a bag of cheese. "I gotta go reset the traps." She turned to go.

"Come on, Miley. I know we're not friends or anything like that – though I hope we could be friends. I'm really not a bad guy and I hope I could get the chance to show you that. Look, I'll help you set the traps; but please share a locker with me?"

He met one of the iciest glares he had ever encountered. Oddly enough, it was the exact same stare as his childhood friend had given him just before he left. He couldn't help but be frozen in his spot at that moment like he couldn't help it back then.

He didn't know how he looked like then but she closed her pretty, yet cold eyes and sighed. "I can't believe I'm goin' to do this…"

He was about to ask what she couldn't believe she was going to do when she beat him to it, "Okay. I'll share a locker with you..."

He smiled at the small victory.

"But you have to set the traps by yourself." Her eyes lit up mischievously as she said it.

He still smiled, and took the bag from her hands. "Okay, deal!" Setting a couple of mouse traps was a small price to pay. He liked that impish look on her. It made her look really familiar, and it also sent him back to simple times.

He could use a little familiarity right then. As well as simplicity.

He missed going home without a reporter or two tailing his every move.

He missed being able to go outside and have fun without having to worry about tripping and ending up on the front page of some cheap tabloid because of it.

He missed Aunt Grace's Secret Chocolate Fudge and Chunk Cookies.

He missed Nashville.

He missed the days he ran underneath the sun, with the wind slapping against his face and breathing in the scent of daisies, the trees and the grassy earth.

Most importantly, he missed his best friend.

If he looked really hard at the girl fixing her stuff inside his… well, their locker, he could actually see his best friend in her.

They were both as sassy as can be. They had the same facial structure; doll-like and all that. The same brown hair that were either braided in the same braids or let loose, cascading down their backs. And they had the same spirit, almost.

This girl just lacked the warmth and pure innocence his best friend had. Miley was just a little too detached. A little stoic, as if she has been shutting a piece of her away from other people.

As he thought about this, Jake became convinced of one thing.

Maybe he couldn't go back to Nashville and to the Barfy Barbie. But he sure could make friends with the one person who was most similar to her that they could be the same person inside out… and bring some innocence and warmth to Miley Stewart's life in the process.


	3. When We Were Friends

Disclaimer: Please see chapter one.

AN: I know, I know –I've been busy my ducklings. I apologize! Actually, this one didn't give me too much trouble except I that had to make it just perfect. Length, pace, content, and what the flowers meant. I had to "study" botany a little bit. But most of all, I just took so long because chapter seven of Message Delivered, and chapter three of The English Project were giving me trouble. I promised not to post this one first before those. I won't hold myself to any more rules like that next time.

Oh my God! **Pottergrl15** likes my story! I'm dancing my jig.

WARNING: Alternate universe from the locker scene… nobody should complain!

Thank you for the reviews! I love you all!

And now, chapter three…

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Don't You Dare Speak About Love

_When We Were Friends_

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_A girl about nine stood up on a stage. She had curly red hair and was wearing a red dress and black shoes. She was belting out a song with all her heart._

"_Tomorrow, tomorrow!_

_I love ya, tomorrow!_

_You're only a day, away!"_

_A little boy about nine jumped up from his seat as he clapped when she finished the number and bowed._

"_Jacob," a female adult's voice, from his right side said. "Sit down."_

"_Okay, mom." He obeyed his mom without question especially since the girl on the stage kept right on performing. A couple of scenes later, he turned to his left. "Hey dad, I want to be like him, when I grow up!"_

"_You want to be like Mr. Warbucks?"_

"_Nooooo! I want to be like the other boy on the stage."_

_Jacob was referring to a little kid who was playing to part of a beggar 'on the street' who just received food from Annie._

_His mom suddenly said, "You want to act?"_

_The boy's forehead scrunched up. "Yes! I want to be with Miley!"_

_The female adult suddenly frowned, but she quickly shook it off and smiled, "Okay! I'll ask around to see if you can be an actor!" She quickly silenced her husband with a glare._

_After the show, everyone congratulated Miley and Jacob carefully gave her a big hug and an arrangement of white flowers that he and his dad got her._

_He saw the almost pure happiness in her eyes when she saw the bouquet, and he knew that he did well when he asked the lady to put them together for him. It had four of Miley's favorite flowers; white cosmos, pink daffodils, pink tulips and white hyacinths._

_He expected but still tensed when he got a big hug from her after she took the flowers from him. "Thank you so much, Jacob!" He relaxed when she stepped back from the hug and took the arrangement of white and pink flowers and smelled them. He surreptitiously checked on the object he was shielding from Miley. It was just fine, and he breathed easily._

_Jacob watched her admire the bouquet for a while, and noticed that she was looking for something in the bunch. He repressed a giggle from coming out. He knew that she was looking for her fifth favorite flower._

_The one that he hid behind his back._

_He let her be for a little while longer. Then he moved and deftly ran his hands through her hair. He chuckled when she looked up at him, clearly startled. He gave her a little pinch on the nose with one hand and he knew she was about to yell at him for doing so when a flash went off._

_They both turned to see her mom put down the camera dabbing the corner of her eye. Before she could make some random comment about her little baby girl growing up (even though Miley really was growing up, slowly but surely), her dad stepped into view, twitching a little. This caused Jacob to release her and awkwardly stand beside his friend._

_The result was immediate, for Miley's mom stopped her tear fest and quickly pecked her husband on the cheek. She revealed a Polaroid photograph to him, which prompted Miley to leave Jacob's side and try to glimpse at the picture. After a quick perusal of the image, her dad simply handed the picture to her._

_Jacob watched his best friend smile even more when she looked over the photo. He was actually mesmerized by the scene that he was taken aback when she turned and placed the portrait in his hand and said, "Hey Jacob, check this out!"_

_There they were, the two of them. He was looking at her with mirth, his eyes smiling gently at her while pinching her nose and she looked comically outraged at the action (but you know she wasn't completely annoyed at him… just a little bit). His other hand was in her hair, the fingers precisely securing an apple blossom in her hair._

_And they were very happy._

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Miley Stewart shook her head as she took a deep breath while looking in Jake Ryan's locker mirror. 'Get a grip, Miley!' 

She just moved all of her stuff in his locker, while he went to set up the traps in the basement. She was about to close the locker door when she saw something sticking out from behind his locker mirror.

She really didn't mean to be nosy, but hey! If she would be secretly stashing her lucky charms (which included a small beanie plushie in the likeness of the original, meaning the first, Pink Ranger) in his locker and he happened to find them out, she'd need some blackmail material.

She wished she didn't poke around.

She found a Polaroid picture of the two of them; some thing that she had kept in her Memory Box but went missing. She should have known that he took it, not Luann.

The little thief!

"Oh, I see you found my little secret." She turned around and saw Jake scratching the back of his head in a rather embarrassed manner.

"Sorry, I was looking at the mirror when I saw the picture." She will forever thank her vocal coach, who taught her how to hide her real emotions from seeping in her voice.

"Nah, it's okay. I don't mind. Just, don't tell anybody about it." She moved out of the way as he got his lunch from the locker. "That's my best friend, Miley." He was careful to speak in low tones when he spoke of her. "She just finished performing _Annie_. I got her a bouquet of her favorite flowers."

"How come she is never mentioned in the papers or magazines?"

"I... just don't talk about her. No one's asked me anything about her, and I don't offer any info. Besides, I like keeping her private. And I think that she appreciates that I don't send any stalkerazzis to her doorstep." He looked around, watching out for Bree Young Zhusdan Takahashi Samuels.

Well, she gotta give him credit for that - she _did_ appreciate that no one had come knocking on her door demanding information about Jake Ryan Superstar. She refused to laugh when he used a proper term for journalists who tailed popstars and their friends. "When was this taken?"

"A couple of years ago, when we were ten. Well, I was ten; she was turning ten. I was living in Nashville back then."

Almost bitterly, she pointed out, "Before you became a star?"

"Well, yeah."

"What happened to you guys?" She wanted to know what he thought of that. As far as she knew, he just upped and left because he wanted to act. Despite the fact that they told each other they would do it together, he just left one day, during a time when she needed him the most.

"We kind of drifted apart." He frowned then, and in spite of the anger rising in her, she couldn't help but feel sympathetic towards him when he looked so lost. "Actually, we didn't exactly part on good terms. I tried calling her, but well - my mom told me that we're not in the same time zone anymore, and she'll be in school when I'm not; and vice versa. So, I resorted to writing her. I stopped sending her letters when it was clear that she didn't want anything to do with me. I called her when I got the Zombie Slayer gig last year, but the person who picked up said that the person I was looking for had moved… oh, sorry, I'm babbling."

Miley was a little more than taken aback by the emotions he had freely displayed. The apparent sorrow he exhibited tugged at her heartstrings and she ached to just give him a hug. But, she held herself back. He had hurt her.

Although, she never did receive any phone calls or letters. "Wait, you wrote m... uhmm her? "

He nodded.

Something just wasn't adding up here.


	4. Don't Understand

Disclaimer: Don't own Jack. Don't own Jill. Just using them for my own purposes. Thank you. No? There's no Jack and Jill in this story? I WAS USING A FIGURE OF SPEECH! Do I really need to spell it out for the nth time?!?!?!

WARNING: AS OF HANNAH MONTANA SEASON TWO, THIS STORY IS A COMPLETE ALTERNATE UNIVERSE! I AM WELL AWARE OF THIS, PLEASE DON'T BRING IT UP! IT'LL BE MOOT POINT AND UNNECESSARY!

Alternate Universe – fan fiction with little or no resemblance to the show save for characters.

Author's Note: I'm please to receive such response for this story. Over seventy reviews by chapter three? It's incredible! Without further ado, I bring you…

Don't You Dare Speak About Love

Chapter Four: Don't Understand…

He could see the incredulity on her face. She was about to say something else. But Jake saw movement out of the corner of his eye and spotted Mr. Corelli talking to that awful news reporter. He held a finger to his lips and closed his and Miley's locker. Then he reached for her hand then led her down the hallway, narrowly missing being spotted by gossipmongers.

He whispered, "Are there any empty rooms around here?"

"The Edit Room. That room's always vacant when it's lunch."

"Where is it?"

She hesitantly led him to the room, which was not far away from where they were. When they came upon the door, it was shut and looked like it was locked; but Miley knew how it really wasn't by pushing a loose screw on the door's lower right side.

It opened with ease, and they stepped inside, locking the door from within. Then, they took their hands back from each other and sat in neighboring chairs.

They remained quiet for a pretty long time after they settled in their seats.

Jake didn't know exactly what she was thinking, but he was busy remembering his childhood best friend.

Before he became immersed within his memories, she spoke. "For how long did you write her?"

"I sent her three hundred, sixty-five letters. I know, it sounds like I copied it straight from _The Notebook_… but there's a big difference: I kept on writing. I just didn't send them." He kept a notebook, a journal basically, where he wrote to her. Every entry began with Dear Miley.

"Why would you do that?"

"I honestly can't tell you - except that I hope one day, I'll cross paths with her and she'll be able to read them. Come to think of it though, it has become some type of therapy."

"Why did you never track her down? Tried to find her, or contact her?"

Jake looked at the girl who caught his eye at this school. She sounded extremely emotional; he could tell she's been controlling her voice - but whatever she was feeling was too strong for her to be able to rein it in completely. He began to feel frustrated. "You don't think I tried? She moved, too! I called her…"

"Well, why didn't you call sooner? Like, before you moved from Nashville and maybe let me know when you were leaving! Better yet, why didn't you call as soon as you became settled at the place where you moved to? Did stardom blow up your ego so much that you only remembered when you did spring cleaning and found that picture?"

"I did! I called her as soon as I touched down in Santa Monica! No one picked up… I called a week later, too when we got our phone line set up, but I never got a call back even when I left a message. And I'm sorry if you think I'm such an ego maniac, but don't assume that you know anything about me! You don't know me, Miley!"

She just glared at him. Cold, steel, gray eyes stared blankly into his own aquamarines. Like they knew things he kept hidden behind his.

Then something sunk in.

Jake watched Miley carefully. "I never told _anyone_, even you, that I moved away from Nashville without telling her when…"

He watched her close her eyes. She spoke calmly and quietly, instead of heatedly. "Before I answer that question, I want to know what she was to you." She opened her light orbs, but didn't allow him to look into them.

He couldn't help but take a deep breath. He didn't know if he liked where this was going. After all, he finally had an idea where this was going. He knew that right now they were both at the bottom and had to work their way up. So he began to talk.

"My dad always told me that Miley was my angel in disguise. I met her in Nashville, when I was five and a half. We just moved to town, and I was getting reckless when my dad had enough of unpacking and decided to take me and my mother out walking. My dad told me that I made a beeline for Miley as soon as we saw her and her parents in the park near our house. With a kiss, we became the best of friends. As we grew up, I knew that she was the person I'd want to be with forever. She challenged me, made me laugh and at the end made me cry."

He took a deep breath and continued as he paced around the empty room, "I remember that her mom was sick. And before I left, Miley kept pushing me away - telling me that she didn't want to talk to me. She was avoiding me. It hurt. It hurt a lot. I never understood why exactly she was like that. But I knew that she was hurting because of her mom. I ended up finding out when her brother told me that as he gave me that picture you saw in my locker…"

He shook his head. "But you asked me what she was to me." He stopped, and pierced her with his sea-green-eyes. "She was my everything. Even now, I hurt just thinking we're separated. I had hoped that she would try to contact me as soon as she saw me on TV - but she never did. I don't even know what to think about that. " And as soon as he said that, he knew. The way she closed her eyes, and put her hand to cover her mouth spoke volumes.

_A young girl about the age of ten was casting flower petals into a lake as she sat upon a dock, with the winds quiet__ and birds oddly silent at that__ time of day._

_She just received some bad news. Her mom was__ really__ sick and couldn't leave the hospital._

_Add the fact that her best friend was away on a family trip and didn't tell her when he'll be back, she never felt more alone than then. She couldn't bring herself to believe Aunt Dolly who told her not to worry. Instead of the comforting feeling she should have felt upon hearing those words, she only felt unease._

_Her brother… wasn't there much for her to count on. He was busy hanging out with his friends. Besides, Jackson wasn't the t__ype of person to go to when__ something like this happens. He usually acted __like a chicken __with its head cut off.__ (Little did she know, he was dealing with this situation in an entirely different way.)_

_So really, she felt really alone._

_In her melancholy, she never sensed anyone coming up on the dock as quietly as possible._

_Two arms wrapped around her and she squealed in surprise. It was a good thing that she wasn't on the edge of the wooden plank, or else she would have fallen in__ the water_

_"You jerk!" She swatted at him, but he caught her hand and didn't let go of it while keeping an arm around her still._

_Jacob laughed, his eyes twinkling. "Hey now, I've just come back and this is how you greet me?"_

_"It is when you scare me like that, Booger Face!"_

_"I'm hurt, Princess."_

_"Snot Boy!"_

_"Barbie."__ He didn't need to add the verb preceding it to have an effect._

_"You know, one resorts to common insults or insulting names when they have no intelligent or original comebacks."_

_He snorted, "How long did you come up with that one?"_

_"How long did you take to understand what I said?" She quipped._

_"Touch__. Anyway, did you miss me?"_

_At that question, she slumped in his embrace and sighed. It was like a ton of bricks fell on top of her head. But she pushed it back. When he came back, it was like her troubles went away and she didn't have to think about her mom being sick, or that she wouldn't be able to see her for a while. "Yeah, I did." She replied in a small voice._

_He frowned. "What's wrong, Miles?" He moved as if to break their cozy hug but she leaned back and prevented him from moving a muscle._

_"Nothing." She didn't want to talk about it, so she changed the subject. "So. How was New Jersey?"_

_Like the simple boy he was, Ja__cob__ welcomed the change of subject. He really did move away this time so he could tell the story with gestures and so he could see her face._

_"My aunts and uncles were__ unbearable. They went all weird and excited__ over my cheeks." He shuddered as if remembering something unpleasant. _

_She__ laughed at the face he made. "You should see your ugly mug!" She told him when she could._

_He smiled wryly at her before continuing his tale. "Thanks, I feel loved. When Uncle Earl comes back from Montana and brings you a couple of Grandma Opal's bran muffins, I'll happily watch you eat them."_

_"Oh, that's cruel." She tried glowering at him, but she couldn't keep the __stern face up. So both started laughing the way best friends do when they connect. "Ok, so you have a pair of cheeks with tons of baby fat on'em - what else?"_

_"I got dragged to Garden State Plaza, one of the malls in New Jersey that's about the size of Texas.__ That was two weeks ago.__"_

_Miley's eyes widened, and he chuckled. "Of course, I'll take you there some day. You would never guess what happened then, though! Check this out! I go__t__ chosen to go to New York on the spot and film a commercial!"_

_"That's great! That's pretty cool!"_

_"Yeah, I was so happy – it was like you were there with me that day we were doing the commercial. Remember when everyone loved you at the Nashville Junior Talent Show? It was like that! It was so cool! They even told me I had potential to become a star!"_

_She couldn't help feeling a little bubble of jealousy. Little did she know, what she really felt was dread. She had a feeling that she's going to lose him like she's losing her mom._

_She stomped her feelings down, though. She pushed them away, and ignored them for the meantime. She focused on the part of her that was happy for him, yet skeptical of the opportunities handed to him. But… it wasn't enoug__h. She was feeling too much. __"So, you're like the one, in the one-in-a-million people.__" Her voice came out in a trained tone, like how she has been training with a coach on singing different music styles._

_He __picked up on it so he __was quick to deny __her words__. "No, of course not! Just the potential to be."_

_"Which gives you better odds than someone like me."__ She drew away from him, then._

_"Come off it, Miles. You're probably gonna be there with me.__ Come on, with Robbie Ray and Susan Stewart's genes, you gotta be!__"_

_The words hurt her somehow. What about her mom? Did the doctor think that she couldn't understand the medical jargon he kept feeding her dad as __an attempt to shield her from the truth that her mom could be actually dying? That if she did make it to the big leagues like Hollywood, or be The One like Jacob – would her mom, Susan Stewart, actually _be there_ to __s__ee her succeed?_

_Of course not!_

_Before the budding tears fell, she felt him move and take a knee. She felt his soft hands gently take her chin and brought her gorgeous __gray eyes __to meet his __bright __aquamarines._

_She saw __mainly __concern,__ a bit of__ anxiety, __a mild quantity of __confusion, __a dash of __compassion, __a lot of care, and a bucket of __love for her. Her heart felt__ a lot__ light__er__after __seeing what his eyes showed her. __She threw her arms__ around him and refused to cry._

_She felt him move slightly so that they'd still be close to each other but he'd see her face. He furrowed his brows and started to say, "Mi-…"_

_"__Please d__on't speak."_

_He grimly nodded, understanding that she didn't really want to talk just now. And he also got the underlying message and just held her against him as they looked out the lake.__After quite a few minutes passed in silenc__e__, he__ put his lips near her ear and whispered, "You know? We never had the normal 'You are icky 'cause you're a girl or boy.' Phase."_

_She had to giggle at that. "You mean, __**you**__ never had that. The female species don't get that way after an average age of six years old. We're __more advanced__ than males that way."__ It was easy to not think about her mom when he's around sometimes. He knew exactly what to say so she'd forget, even for just a little while._

_"Hey! I resent that.__"_

_"Don't get all defensive now! You're actually a__head of your own species that way__ since you bypassed that stage at the age of ten!"_

_"You mean eight. I've liked you since then."_

_"Oh."_

_"Yeah, 'oh.' You seemed to like that doofus Erik Cohen."_

_Erik was a__n eighth grader__ who__ tried to teach__ Jackson__ how to play volleyball__two summers ago__ when they were in the third grade__. He was very nice to Miley, and treated her like a little sister. Unfortunately, like all girls her age and above; Miley definitely noticed that he was good looking. He was tall, had black hair and piercing green eyes. __He had a tan from being a regular skins player and Miley definitely admired his physique._

_Fortunately for Ja__cob__Erik__ wasn't interested in Miley__ He__ had girlfriend he was extremely loyal__ and devoted__ to at the tender age of thirteen.__ Therefore all of Miley's attempts in getting his attention had no effect whatsoever._

_"I didn't like him like that, much. Sure, I thought he was cute…" She trailed off, leaving him to figure out the rest of her thoughts for later. Before he could speak, she continued. "Besides, I wasn't the only one paying extra attention to someone.__"_

_Of course, she was talking about Erik's girlfriend; a Filipina whose volleyball skills and coaching abilities were above Erik's level at the time. Miley thought Ja__cob__ crushed on her since he joked around with her with a blush on his face._

_He _definitely_ wanted to clear that up. "Aiko? Nah. She's like an older sister who knows which buttons to push to get a reaction from her younger sibling."_

_Miley smiled. "So, she's just an older sister-like figure to you?"_

_"Yeah."_

_"What about Helen?" Helen was Jackson's crush and was one of Erik's friends._

_"She's annoying."_

_"But she's pretty."_

_"She might have looks, but she doesn't have much personality."_

_"What about Christa?" Another of Jackson's million crushes who lives a couple of houses away from the Stewarts's._

_"She'__s kinda weird. And__ I don't like how she puts on a lot of __those color thingies on her face and lips__."_

_"You mean, make-up?"_

_"Yeah, I guess."_

_"__And__ Laura?" Jackson's crush._

_"Pretty, but she's a little bit of an airhead."_

_"Angelic Angela?" She was the lead soloist in the church choir__; she was extremely pretty and talented with a voice that is often compared to Charlotte Church__ However, she was pretty naïve and honestly nice. Many called her an angel at the church._

_"You can't talk to her without her bursting into song. __ I don' t know about you Miles,__ but when I talk__ to people__ I__'d like to__hear them __talk__ back__. Not sing."_

_"__Okay…" __She__ hesitated for a second, but she _had_ to know. "__Luann?"_

_"What's with the list of girls' names?" Jacob __asked with a crunched forehead__ in slight confusion__. "And you know how I detest your cousin as much as you do… even if it's not because of the same reasons."_

_"I just want to know __what you think about her.__ I mean, it's nice to know how you think about girls we both know. Besides, just because I hate my cousin for trying to kill me and you not witnessing it yet still disliking her, doesn't mean that I really know what you think about her.__"_

_He raised an eyebrow before holding up a fist and started ticking off each finger as he spoke, "First, she's a suck up. Two, she's a leech. Three, she gives me the creeps. Four, I can't believe she keeps trying to hang around us when it's plain to see that we don't want her to__ be around__. Five, I saw her __knocking a squirrel down a tree once then claim she was rescuing it. I think she's a liar__, cheat__ and __a generally __dishonest__ person__. Lastly, even if she's beautiful because the two of you miraculously share enough similar genes to look like each other; she's not you and I don't think much of her like I do you."_

_Miley's jaw pretty much dropped and she turned to face him while still in his arms. "What do you mean?__ You think I'm…?__"__ She trailed off, not being able to finish the though__t in pleasant surprise. She co__uldn't believe Jacob thought she was beautiful._

_He blushed. "Uhh, you know. I've always thought you were pretty."_

_"But you said Luann was beautiful."_

_"I said, 'even if'. There's a difference. A humongous one.__ It's an 'even if' which could be totally hypotheti__cal and not real. So, really it's an 'even if' statement.__"_

_"So you don't think I'm beautiful."_

_"Yes! I mean, no! I mean- GAAAH!!!" He removed his arms from __her and buried his face in his hands._

_"Jacob."_

_There was a muffled 'Yes?'__ coming through his hands_

_"What did you mean, then?"_

_He took his hands away. "I __**do**__ think you're beautiful." He was blushing really hard when he said it, and started to stand up so he could run away._

_Before he could make a getaway, she put her hand on his arms._

_"Thank you." She smiled at him._

_He stopped in his tracks and smiled back, though still red. "You're welcome."_

_She wordlessly motioned him to take her into his arms again; with her back __against him as they watched the lake._

_It was funny how they acted like adults. Many would say that they were actually sixteen year olds than ten year olds. But when you've been coached how to act since you were born (Jacob), or when you wanted to be a teen icon (Miley) then you definitely act more than your age. Besides, they watched a good deal of TV shows they really weren't supposed to watch at their age._

_Not to mention that the movies _Little Manhattan _and _My Girl_ definitely taught them a couple of things._

_After a significant time of peace and quiet passed, Miley whispered, "Thanks, Jacob. You're the best."_

_Smirking a little, he said, "You're welcome."_

_They started to extract themselves from the other but then Jacob fell on his back, bringing her with him. "Ouch!"_

_"Are you okay?" She quickly got off him and examined him for any injuries. He acquired a bit of wood burn from the dock. "I'm okay, it just smarts."_

_She gingerly took his arm and blew on the red spot as she brushed the area with the back of her hand. He hissed at the slight pain of friction so she kissed it. "Better?"_

_"Much, thanks Miley."_

_She smiled. "You're welcome.__" She wiggled her nose a little, as she always did when she felt smug about something._

_They laughed, the bruise forgotten then he spotted something behind her. "Look!"_

_There was a couple riding in a small boat with the engine turned off as the natural__ yet brisk__ current of the lake carried them__ away_

_They recognized the couple as Erik and Aiko, who were still steadfastly together after three years. Both were sharing a tender moment in each __other's embrace, kissing sweetly if not passionately.__ Their unknown audience admired their public intimacy, and both of the ten year olds wondered if they could also achieve a feat like this someday without any awkwardness._

_Miley sighed at the scene. "They're so cute." She whispered, so that her voice wouldn't carry out and disturb the pair playing __a bit of __tonsil hockey._

_"Would you kill me if I decided to skip rocks now?" He, too, whispered._

_"They would never find the body."_

_"Okay, just checking."_

_"I can't believe I called you mature for your age."_

_"I was kidding. Unlike Junior from _Little Giants_ I'm not above learning how to kiss. __The Icebox__ was right about kissing hands."_

_Miley smiled a bit at that. "They don't kiss back?"_

_"Yeah."_

_They watched Erik and Aiko's boat become a dot as it reached far away __point of the lake__ from their dock in silence._

_"Hey Jacob?"_

_"What?"_

_"__Do you think we'd stay together like this, three years from now?" She was, of course referring to how their friendship would stay strong; like Erik and Aiko's __relationship __has._

_He replied without missing a beat, "Definitely. But it'd change a little."_

_She looked at him. "What do you mean?"_

_He pecked the corner of mouth __in reply._

_They say actions speak louder than words. But for moments like these, humans don'__t need voices or speech to communicate._

_Ten year old Jacob Ryan and ten year old Miley Stewart shared their real first kiss._

_And when they broke apart, Little Jacob __put his lips by her ear and whispered something into her ear._

_Neither child saw four figures watch them in separate places of the scene, then leave without doing a thing._


End file.
